Alliances hit ALP, CLP
TERRITORY Labor has been dealt another blow in its battle to hold onto the seat of Johnston with Territory Alliance candidate Steven Klose preferencing the Ban Fracking Fix Crime
Protect Water party and the Greens party ahead of the two major parties. Mr Klose’s decision follows the Greens decision to also ask its voters to put Labor last when they vote in the Johnston by-election.
TERRITORY Labor has been dealt another blow in its battle to hold the seat of Johnston, with Territory Alliance candidate Steven Klose preferencing the Ban Fracking Fix Crime Protect Water party and the Greens ahead of the two major parties.
Mr Klose says the Gunner Labor Government deserves to be sent a message for the diabolic mess it has made of the Territory and wants voters to put Labor last when they vote on February 29.
Mr Klose’s decision follows the Greens’ decision to also ask its voters to put Labor last when they vote in the Johnston by-election.
The Greens, which received 17 per cent of the primary vote in Johnston in 2016, said the move was punishment for Labor’s decision to lift the moratorium on onshore gas fracking.
Mr Klose said people were feeling betrayed and let down by the Labor Government.
“They tell me they thought they could trust them to be honest and to fix things up, but instead things have got worse,” Mr Klose said. “The people are not listening to the Government and they don’t trust them.”
Mr Klose said they saw them as promising one thing and then doing the opposite.
“The economy is the worst in Australia and it is alarming to speak to so many people, long-time residents, who tell me for the first time they are seriously looking at leaving the Territory for a better life elsewhere.
“People are telling me they expected more from this Government but they have not restored trust and faith in politics and they do not trust this Government. The three main issues I am getting at the doorstep is the worry people have about the massive drop in their house value, private industry is struggling to find work and they have no confidence in the future, and youth crime and public disorder is rampant.”
Labor candidate for Johnston Joel Bowden said he was not involved in preference negotiations, which were being handled by the party.
However with the Territory Alliance and Greens’ announcements it is unlikely to be able to strike any meaningful preference swaps with the Country Liberal Party candidate Josh Thomas and the Ban Fracking Fix Crime Protect Water Party candidate Braedon Earley, who has been an outspoken critic of both the Government and the CLP.
Mr Earley, a former CLP president, is believed to be preferencing the CLP last. This leaves just independents
Trevor Jenkins and George Mamouzellos for Labor to do a preference deal with.
When asked yesterday about the Territory Alliance preference decision, Labor Party NT secretary Anthony Brereton said the only comment he had was: “We’re out in the electorate speaking to the people of Johnston.”